Star-Crossed S1E4 - "And Left No Friendly Drop" Recap

What's here? A cup, closed in my true love's hand?
Poison, I see, hath been his timeless end.
O churl! Drunk all, and left no friendly drop
To help me after? I will kiss thy lips.
Haply some poison yet doth hang on them
To make me die with a restorative.
~ Romeo and Juliet, Act 5, Scene 3, Lines 161-166

Roman and Sophia come out to their living room where their mother stands flustered as security are smashing belongings, saying that they have a secret and illegal piece of technology. After the security leave, their mother reveals a secret phone that she found in her dead husband's belongings a few weeks prior. She can't access any of the data on it and the whole family is concerned, as whomever filed the report knew that the phone was there. Roman promises to get rid of it outside the sector.

Teri warns Drake that he needs to fall in line, as they are the Trags' best link to the outside world. Roman checks in with Julia, who is doing well after his saving her life yet again. He then asks her for help regarding the phone. Emery sees them talking and after Roman leaves, Julia says that she was just congratulating him for his speech at the commemoration event.

In science class, the students learn about Atrian anatomy. They have two sets of hearts and lungs, their bioluminescent markings (in water) - to light their way, faster rate of physical maturity, sensitivity to salt and dry air, and allergies to cilantro and caffeine. The conversation turns sexual and some cheeky banter occurs between Taylor and Drake.

Emery finds some flowers at her locker and Grayson approaches to let her know they're from him. He apologises for what happened with his parents and she tells him he should have been honest. He promises to never lie to her again and she tells him that now isn't a good time to begin anything.

Julia recruits Lukas' help regarding the secret phone and Roman is hesitant, saying he can barely trust her, let alone him. Lukas tells him that minorities should stick together and when Roman questions their being minorities, Julia says that they were the minorities before the Atrians arrived. (Lukas is African-American and Julia is Asian-American). Lukas finds that the data has been erased but he can work on recovering some of it.

Sophia looks at the athletic trophies and Emery approaches her. Sophia says she doesn't have many friends, even in the sector. She is intrigued by the swimming team and tells Emery that her father taught her how to swim back on Atria. Sophia hasn't been able to swim since they arrived on Earth, as there is nowhere to swim in the sector. Emery takes her to the pool, where she displays extraordinary speed and ability as a swimmer. She attracts the attention of many on-lookers, from members of the swim team, other students, and Roman and Teri. Except for Eric, the members of the swim team seem to want Sophia to join, as she would elevate their status. Gloria tells them that she cannot join the team, and Roman doesn't think it is a good idea either. Grayson speaks up in her defence, saying that Collier (their rival) is a factory since they can afford to pull the best swimmers in from all over the Gulf. Gloria agrees to speak with the board.

Roman warns Sophia that she is putting herself in unnecessary risk but she says that this is how she is choosing to honour their father. Grayson invites Emery to join him for a "Carbo Dinner," a pre-swim-meet ritual and she agrees, having warmed further to him after his speaking up for Sophia. She also spies Roman going into a room with Lukas.

Lukas tells Roman that he was able to recover some of the phone's data, showing that all it ever was used for was to text back and forth with one other phone. The texts were times and dates, so it would seem that someone was setting up meets. He also found an encrypted video file, but it will take some time to decrypt. Roman asks Lukas to keep it overnight.

Roman returns home to find his uncle visiting his mother. Security had come back with electronic scanners after being angry that they hadn't found the phone the first time. Roman tells them that the phone is gone and that he took care of it.

The board agrees to let Sophia swim for the team. Emery meets Grayson for the Carbo Dinner and he tells her that it's a date, and she does not object to the idea. The next day, there are even more protesters present, furious about Sophia's being able to swim for the team. One of them throws a cup of water on her, making her marks glow. When Roman tries to get to her, security apprehend him but they eventually let her go and he gets her into the school safely.

Gloria meets with the Atrian Seven and tells them about Jackie Robinson. She tells them that the important part is that he never rose to the bait thrown at him. The Atrian Seven all need to be exemplary and tells Teri she needs to use her words. She angrily replies that they shouldn't have to put up with this treatment for her. Sophia chimes in saying they should do it for her (wanting to swim) and for her father. Drake says that they are fighting for freedom and tells Sophia that if she wants to swim, she should, but to beat them doing it. (Drake's way of saying, "Go get 'em, girl!)

Emery tells Julia that if she can't tell the truth about her friendship with Roman, it's fine, but to not lie about it either. She then goes to Sophia and gives her a present - a new bathing suit. Sophia thanks her and when she goes to put it in her locker, finds a doll of herself strung up inside with a knife sticking out of it. She is frightened and Roman comes over, telling her it is over. He says he loves her but will drag her out of the pool if she has to. She firmly replies, "No, you won't," and storms off. Emery gets into an argument with Roman, telling him it's his job to support her. Emery knows that Roman didn't want her in the Sector or at the carnival because he thought it was too dangerous, but she's still there. Roman tells her that she is still there because he protected her and when she questions his meaning, he will say nothing more on the matter.

Lukas begins to show Roman a video file from the phone and all that can be seen and heard is water before Gloria and security apprehend him. She tells him off in her office and tells him that she knows that the phone was his father's, saying their tech team was able to determine that much. She tells him that she will make the guards back off of his family and advises him to forget he ever saw it. She then smashes the card.

Roman tells Lukas that the phone had belonged to his father and Lukas sets up a locator to get a ping off of the other phone his father was communicating with. They find that the phone's location is at school, though they're not yet sure whose it is.

At the meet, a girl from Collier gives Sophia an energy drink, feigning good sportsmanship. Sophia has a sip and begins choking, as she is allergic to caffeine. The Collier swimmers stand around gawking. Julia sees what has happened and runs off to get Roman. Emery runs over to help and Grayson tells the Collier swimmers to get back. They get snarky, calling him a "Tatty-lover," and Drake shows up (seriously, where did you come from?) and sternly asks, "Who you callin' Tatty?" Roman runs over, and has Emery help him move Sophia into the locker room, where he says he can help her. Teri snatches the bottle from the attempted murderer from Collier and sees that it has caffeine. The girl shows no remorse and takes no responsibility for her actions. Teri removes her earrings, (Seriously, rich girl, now would be the part where you should start running), and tells the girl, "What you're saying makes me feel unwelcome and fills me with rage. There, I used my words," and lands a spectacular head-butt to the girl, catalysing a fight between the Atrians and the Colliers.

In the locker room, Roman wants to use some Cyper to save his sister but then the school nurse comes in, refusing to leave until the paramedics arrive. Roman is distraught, telling Emery he cannot reveal Cyper to the world. Emery determines that Sophia is suffering from an allergic reaction, and finds a shot of epinephrine which she stabs into Sophia's leg. Sophia's gasping stops and after a moment, she coughs, but is okay.

The fight between the Atrians and Colliers is still going on and spills into the pool room. Grayson is fighting with the Atrians and even Eric (yes, Eric) jumps in to fight with them. There's a hilarious moment where Drake and Eric, both running high on testosterone, nearly hit each other, but decide to save their personal squabbles for another time. (Come on, you two, just hug it out already). Gloria shows up and breaks up the fight, threatening to expel the next person who throws a punch. The meet is called off. The swim team is suspended from further competition for the rest of the year. She then tells the student that though they let her down, they will not be punished further, as humans and Atrians were fighting alongside and for each other. She sees it as a victory she can build on.

Sophia tells the team they should swim for themselves and Gloria gives them access to the pool for an hour. Before jumping in, Eric tells Sophia he won't be taking it easy on her because she almost just died and she tells him she won't be taking it easy on him ever. Roman thanks Emery for saving Sophia.

Julia tells Emery about the Cyper and Emery tells her she already knew. Julia is relieved to not have to lie to her anymore and tells her the reason she had to keep it secret is because of the fact that it needs to be mixed with Atrian blood to work (Emery didn't know about that particular detail till now). Emery understands, seeing that such information would indeed be dangerous for the Atrians - even more so. She says that Roman should know that he can trust her and Julia tells her that Roman wanted to protect her, he cares about her, and he'd be with her if he could. Emery says she doesn't want to be in a relationship revolving around her being protected (thank you for addressing that archaic trope).

Grayson and Emery chat and then they kiss while Roman looks on from the bus in sadness. Lucas interrupts Roman's sad starring to tell him that the signal on the other phone just left, likely from someone driving away. It wasn't headed towards the sector, but somewhere in the 'burbs.

Sophia tells Roman that he was right but he says that he's the one who should be apologising for holding her back. He says that he just wanted to look after her and that their father would have been proud of what she did. She asks him if he ever found out what he was doing with the phone and he says that he wasn't a Trag, but was communicating with someone outside the sector.

Finally, we see Gloria driving home and speaking on the phone to Roman's uncle, Castor. What? She also says she was the one who ordered the search and tells him to make sure that Roman doesn't know about this. What? She also warns him not to try to leverage it against her, as it would be a big mistake. He says he wouldn't dream of it. After hanging up, she watches the video footage we previously saw a snippet of. It's her with her Atrian son, telling him to "show Daddy how you swim." Knox, Roman's father, is Gloria's baby-daddy. WHAT???

Star-Crossed airs on Mondays on the CW at 8PM.